From LaughingSquid:
An alarm is going up amongst tiki-lovers and all those who appreciate San Francisco’s eclectic (hic!) history! The Tonga Room, the much loved tacky tiki bar in the Fairmont Hotel’s basement (California @ Mason in Nob Hill), is at great risk due to its owner’s plan to convert a large portion of the hotel into condominiums.
The plan would replace the existing Fairmont Hotel Tower with a new Residential Tower and in the process convert 226 hotel rooms into 160 condos. The Tonga Room is at the base of the existing tower.
Comments
4 Comments so far. Leave a comment below.This is THE tiki bar of tiki bars. Yeah, it’s mostly a fancy themed restaurant, but it is the real deal. I have been a few times, mostly for formal events like prom night dinners but it was always really great. The band plays on a platform that floats out into the “lagoon” while they play, and then the rain starts! It was like eating at the Tiki Room at Disneyland!
@Deepsea,
I’ve never been to San Fran so I’ve missed out on the Tonga Room. The best Tiki restaurant I’ve been to on the east coast would be the Mai Kai in Ft Lauderdale. From the pictures in that post, I’d say that the Tonga room looks several notches above the Mai Kai.
What a shame–the article said they just spent a million US$ upgrading the place! No official word that it’s closing, but it seems really likely considering the $19 rum drinks and condo proliferation in that area. Did you at least get to Rum Jungle in Mandalay last visit to Vegas?
Damn, when I was living in the bay area I never made it there, bummer. I did go to Trader Vic’s though and got the flaming volcano skull voodoo drink.